Atlanta Dream
The Atlanta Dream are an American women 's basketball team in the Women's National Basketball Association based in Atlanta in the U.S. state of Georgia.
Play their home games from the team at Philips Arena.
- 2.1 attendances
- 3.1 Sporting achievements
- 3.2 Individual Awards
- 3.3 season statistics
- 5.1 squads of the 2012 season
- 5.2 first-round choice in the WNBA Draft Rights
History
Foundation (2007 to 2008)
On 17 October 2007 gave Donna Orender, President of the WNBA, announced that a new franchise in Atlanta is to be erected, which should already participating in the 2008 season in the WNBA. The owner of the new WNBA teams from Atlanta 's J. Ronald Terwillinger. On 28 November 2007, the legend Marynell Meadors appointed the first head coach and general manager of the franchise. Meadors already had experience with newly formed teams, as they had already been the first head coach of the Charlotte Sting. On 23 January 2008 was presented with the Dream Team Name. The team colors were also announced: sky blue, red and white. The name and team colors were decided on a choice, the legitimate voters could choose among four different team name and team colors. On February 6, 2008 Expansion Draft was held for the Dream. Shortly afterwards, the legend became active for the first time in the transfer market and transferred Roneeka Hodges and their first-round pick ( fourth overall pick ) to Seattle for Iziane Castro Marques and the first-round pick ( 8th overall pick ) of the WNBA Draft Storm in 2008. After the Dream transferred nor their second-round pick ( 18th overall pick ) and LaToya Thomas to the Detroit Shock for Ivory Latta. Even before the draft presented the Dream on April 3, 2008, the jerseys for the 2008 season.
First seasons in the WNBA (2008 to 2009)
On 9 April 2008 WNBA Draft 2008 was held in which the legend decided in the first round for Tamera Young. That same day, Ann Wauters, More Nike Atunrase and a second-round pick in the WNBA Draft was transferred in 2009 to the San Antonio Silver Stars for Camille Little, Chioma Nnamaka and a first-round pick in the WNBA Draft 2009.
The legend started conceivable unhappy in their first regular season as they lost their first 17 season games all. This negative series marked a new WNBA - worst record. Their first game won by the legend on July 5 at home to the Chicago Sky with 91:84. The first away win followed already in the next game against the Minnesota Lynx defeated them after a strong finish by 73:67. At the end of the legend four of 34 games won in the regular season. Since the Dream finished the season with the worst record, the chances were relatively high, that they have been issued the first pick in the WNBA Draft 2009. On 9 December, the Dream won the lottery and thus obtained the first option in the Draft 2009. Legend chose the Draft for Angel McCoughtry of the University of Louisville. The dream changed a large part of their squad during the season break, so only four of the eleven players from the previous season were the cadres of the legend. On 20 April 2009 the legend created a stir when she undertook with Chamique Holdsclaw an All-Star player. To set the legend already in its second season very high quality squad. While the Indiana Fever soon uncatchable were leading relatively in the Eastern Conference, fought the legend over the greater part of the season with the Detroit Shock, Washington Mystics, Chicago Sky Connecticut Sun and the remaining three playoff spots. In the decisive stage of the season lost all challengers to the Shock important games, so that could qualify at the end as a second team for the playoffs. The season ended the Dream with 18 wins in 34 games. In the playoffs, the Dream meet the Shock, who finished the season with the same record. However, the legend could decide the majority of direct encounters for themselves. Subsequently, the legend got the second place and thus awarded the home field advantage in the playoffs. In the playoffs, they could keep up with the Shock, although long, yet they never really managed to bring the reigning champion from Detroit in distress that could decide the series clearly 2-0 in games for themselves. At the end of the season Ron Terwilliger announced that he mwird resign from his position as principal owner. On 29 October 2009 Kathy Betty took over control of the franchise.
Catchment in the WNBA Finals (since 2010)
The Dream finished the regular season in 2010 with 19 wins in 34 games, which meant a new franchise record. While the team from Atlanta in the previous season a worse record for second place in the Eastern Conference handed. So reached the legend in this season's fourth and final playoff spot in their conference. In the Conference Semifinals, the Atlanta Dream met the Washington Mystics. The situation spoke clearly against the Dream. The Mystics finished the regular season clearly better than the legend, as well as the Mystics home advantage and three of the four direct encounters had won in the regular season. The last game between the two teams, which could decide the Mystics clearly for themselves, even took place just three days before the first playoff game. Despite this bad, the legend could win the first game of the series with an extraordinary performance in the first half. In the second game the legend once again laid the foundation for victory in the first half. The Mystics managed subsequently no longer catch up, so the legend ascended for the first time in its history in the Conference Finals. In the Conference Finals, the legend met the New York Liberty. Although the series was very balanced over long distance, managed the Dream in only two games, the rise in the WNBA Finals. This time put the legend the foundation to success is not already in the first half but twice in the last quarter. Most outstanding player of the series was like back in the Conference Semifinals Angel McCoughtry, who scored 42 points in the last game against New York. In the WNBA finals, the legend met the Seattle Storm, who dominated the entire season. The first game was only decided in the final seconds by a jump shot from Sue Bird. In the second game kept the legend with long good, anyway also the second game went over with 87:84 on the Storm. In the third game, the legend were already with their backs to the wall. After the Storm were able to sell something at the beginning of the last quarter, the dream slowly worked zoom again. Six seconds before the end of the game the legend had returned three points and were in possession. The last move was like most in the series on McCoughtry, who had obtained up to that moment 35 points. McCoughtry failed in their attempt of the 3 -point line which the Storm won the WNBA Championship for the first time since 2004.
Venue
The Atlanta Dream play their home games since its inception in Philips Arena, which at basketball games a capacity of 19,455 seats has. The legend share the arena with the Atlanta Hawks of the National Basketball Association and the Atlanta Thrashers, a team from the National Hockey League.
Attendances
In the first season the games of the legend were, despite many defeats, very well attended. With an average of 8,316 spectators per game, the Dream were also well above the average WNBA. The opening game was in the first season with 11,609 spectators, the most visited throughout the season. Overall, attracted more than 10,000 spectators to four home games.
Achievements and honors
Sporting successes
The greatest success of the franchise is to win the Eastern Conference Finals in 2010 and 2011.
Individual Awards
No player or coach of the Dream received an official WNBA Awards until now.
Season statistics
Note: GP = Games, W = Wins, L = Losses
Coach
- Marynell Meadors (since 2008)
Players
Squad of the Season 2012
As of July 11, 2012
First-round choice in the WNBA Draft Rights
Since 2008, the legend had four draft rights in the first round of the WNBA draft. Only in 2012 the franchise had not a single draft pick in the first round.
With Angel McCoughty in 2009, the Dream have been able to re-select a player in the first position. So far, came with McCoughty and Tamera Young only two players who chose the legend since 2008 in the first round, in the jersey of the franchise to its first use in the WNBA. Furthermore, stands with McCoughty only a player who was selected by the Dream in a draft before 2012, for the 2012 season in the squad of the club.